Drones Strike Saudi Aramco’s Giant Abqaiq Oil Plant
Drones struck Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq facility — the world’s largest crude-processing plant — overnight, in an attack that threatened to shatter the fragile lull in the Gulf war and reverse a slide in oil prices. Saudi Arabia blamed Iran-backed militias operating from Iraq and reserved the right to retaliate, while the Houthis were also said to have claimed strikes on Saudi oil sites. The extent of any damage was not independently confirmed.
Abqaiq processes a large share of Saudi crude, and a devastating 2019 drone-and-missile attack there briefly knocked out much of the kingdom’s output and sent oil soaring. Overnight, drones were also reported over Israel, Jordan and Iraq, despite the pause in direct US–Iran strikes. The competing claims — Riyadh pointing to Iraqi militias, others to Yemen’s Houthis — underline how many actors could yet drag the region back to war. Oil markets, which had fallen sharply on hopes of de-escalation, now face a fresh test. Watch for confirmation of the damage and Saudi Arabia’s response.